


A Restless Night

by junko



Series: Senbonzakura's Song [9]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 10:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the tiff with Byakuya, Renji can't sleep.  Seems he's not the only one...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Restless Night

**Author's Note:**

> My titles stopped being about business and now their kind of... meh. Well, this is better than my draft title which was simply "Elbow."
> 
> Thanks goes to Josey (cestus) who took time from her epic to encourage me and typo spot and generally keep my spirits up.
> 
> Sorry it's been so long between installments, hopefully this will make your Valentine's Day a little sweeter.

There was an elbow in Renji’s face. The sharp nob of it dug into his cheekbone. He gave the offending limb a hard shove only to remember belatedly that he was sharing his tiny cot in the lieutenant’s quarters with Seichi.

Seichi tumbled to the floor, taking the blanket and several manga volumes with him. It said a lot about his previous life that Seichi seemed only to wake enough to say, “Usu!” as though respectfully greeting a yakuza superior, and then curled up and fell back to sleep.

Even though it was still dark, Renji sat up. He pulled the ratty fabric of his cotton robe tighter around his shoulders and tucked his knees against his chest. Glancing at the snoring heap on the floor, Renji frowned.

Seichi couldn’t stay here. 

And, not just because he was a bed hog.

It was bad enough Byakuya had decided to spring Seichi and absorb him into the Kuchiki staff. If anyone from the Sixth saw him—especially anyone who still considered him Eleventh Seat Fujimoto’s murderer--there’d be a fucking riot. At the very least, Seichi’d end up beaten to a bloody pulp.

Frankly, they should’ve left Seichi at the Second. 

It wasn’t that Renji wanted to see his brother rot in jail. No, far from it, especially since what little Seichi had let slip about prison life actually managed to sound worse than Inuzuri. 

But, they shouldn’t be the ones in charge of Seichi’s fate.

The truth of the matter was that Captain Soi Fon was absolutely right about Renji. Renji’s sense of duty got all fucked up by family. All Seichi would have to do was say “Help me, Renji” and give him that look, the same one Katsuo had had… and yeah, Renji would wade into the fight and that’d be that. Renji’d end up a traitor or maybe something worse this time around. Killing the subordinates who trusted him to save a brother he hardly knew? 

There was no winner in that fight, no matter who the ‘victor’ was.

He should know, too. Renji’d already been down that road. Though at least with the prison break, he’d been careful to only injure and not kill. And he knew for a fact Rukia was worth it. Still, that whole bloody debacle had left behind plenty of hard feelings. The Division lost some good people to transfers. Renji could hardly blame them any of them that had to leave. He was more baffled by all the ones who’d stayed. After all, who’d want to work with a guy who put his family before duty? An officer who’d set his own personal issues before his sworn oath to the Gotei? A guy willing to rip through his own people…? 

That wasn’t how it was suppose to work. His family was supposed to be his Division now. His only personal concern should be how fast and how well he could follow orders.

That’s what he told his own soldiers, after all. 

Thing was, Renji wasn’t strong like Byakuya. He couldn’t turn his back and walk away. Not on family. It was his weak point.

One of many.

Look at him now, ready to jump ship to play tag-along to Rukia and her reckless boyfriend. At least Byakuya approved of this mission, even if the Head Captain didn’t.

Not that he and Byakuya were in such a great place themselves right now, what with all that talk that had the alley haunting Renji again. Fuck. Why couldn’t that just go into the part of his brain labeled ‘Shit Best Forgotten.’ There was loads of crap stuffed back in there. But, the goddamn alley was stubborn; it wouldn’t get sorted. Now… fuck it all, now someone had seen them and was talking about it.

What did people say about him? And how could he and Byakuya ever come clean as a couple with that in everyone’s heads? It’d be like Ukitake giving him that sad, pitying look every time he had a bruise. Only it’d be worse, multiplied by many people, all thinking that Renji had no choice, that he was some kind of victim. Weak. Stupid for not getting himself out.

Closing his eyes, Renji tipped his head back until it rested against the wall. He let out a long sigh, as a wave of exhaustion rolled over him. He knew he should try to sleep, but couldn’t. 

As quietly as he could he crawled the long way down his cot. Stretching out over his footlocker, he got one toe to the floor before Seichi murmured, “Going back to him?”

Irritation spiked along Renji’s spine. There it was, that implication.

“Nah, Byakuya’s probably sound asleep by now,” Renji said truthfully. Giving up stealth, Renji pulled himself to his feet and started rummaging through the footlocker for something warmer to go over his robe. “I was thinking about taking a little walkabout to clear my head. Wanna come?”

Seichi surprised Renji by nodding sleepily. “I could use a stretch. But ain’t it still snowing?”

Renji nudged aside the door with his toe and peeked through the crack. Through the frosty puff of his breath, he could see that the sky had cleared. Several inches of snow covered every surface, softening all the sharp edges of the sloped, ocher-colored tiled roofs. The practice yard was a blanket of white; no feet had disturbed the snowfall yet. 

He shut the door again. 

“Seems to have stopped.”

Seichi uncurled and yawned. “You planning to go far?”

“Nah, probably just a patrol round, corner to corner, you know,” Renji said, with a shrug. At the bottom of his footlocker, he found what he was looking for: the heavy, stiff, division issued wool cloak. He’d never had occasion to wear his, it was still carefully wrapped in rice paper and twine. “If you’re coming, throw this over your shoulders,” he told Seichi, tossing the package to him.

“What you going to wear?” Seichi asked, undoing the twine and giving the giant, official Six stamp a sort of horrified look.

“My uniform,” Renji said, pulling a fresh one from his locker. “I got a couple of shitagi I can layer. I’ll be all right. ‘Sides I can always shunpo back here.”

“And leave me in the cold? Nice,” Seichi said, but his voice was teasing.

In a minute, they were dressed and headed out the door. Seichi swam in the robe, but he’d found a way to tie it up so it didn’t drag on the ground.

The portico roof had kept most of the snow away, but it drifted through the railing slats in stripes. Renji’s sandals were freezing as he stepped into them. Seichi very carefully shook the snow from his shoes before putting them on. 

“Look at you,” Renji smiled, watching Seichi’s care. “Shoes.”

“I know, right?” Seichi returned the smile brightly. “I could get used to this. Plus, look at this place, it’s so… beautiful.”

Renji couldn’t help being reminded of Rukia at that moment. Leaning his elbows on the snow-covered railing, Renji tried to see familiar sights with Seichi’s wide, awe-struck eyes. 

A full moon rose just over the large building that housed lieutenant’s office. The office was one of the only buildings with any lights still on. Lanterns hung at regular intervals under the wide eaves. The snow-covered ground underneath sparkled blue, yellow, and pink, like diamond dust.

Above them, stars filled the sky, mirroring the glittering snow. 

In the distance, the patrol called out the hour. Renji turned his head to the sound. Snow outlined every edge. Over the far wall, he could just barely see the cherry orchard, the trees’ bare branches turned into a lacy show.

“Yeah,” Renji nodded, “It is beautiful.”

“I can see why you’d do anything to keep it,” Seichi said quietly and with a funny little sideways glance.

Well, fuck.

That ruined the mood.

In fact, Renji had to stifle the sudden urge to knock Seichi’s teeth out. “Oi, the hell are you implying? I earned this place… and not on my back neither!”

Seichi gave Renji a pitying look.

“Academy. The Eleventh,” Renji argued. “I worked hard. You have no idea how hard I worked.”

“Which is why I understand, Renji,” Seichi said. “Why you’d… ‘work hard’ to keep it.”

Renji could hear what was really meant by ‘work hard.’ 

“Look, I don’t figure you can understand, what with what you’ve been through,” Renji said, holding on to his temper with whitening knuckles. “But, it’s not like you think. I wouldn’t do anything to stay here. Maybe I couldn’t win against Byakuya, but I’d fight. I’ve already shown I’d fight him hard, go all the way if I had to.”

“Sure.” Seichi couldn’t sound more patronizing if he tried. “Sure, Renji, you don’t have to remind me. Dying is always a way out.”

That was it. 

Renji couldn’t take this bullshit any more. He had no idea how to convince Seichi without sounding like he was making excuses, so he growled into Seichi’s face with a wordless, “Argh!”

Then, turning on his heels, Renji stalked away. He headed out along the wooden walkway intending to stomp off his mood and hope that a long, cold march around the Division would clear his head. Or at least make him not want to kill his stupid, moronic brother.

The last thing Renji expected was to run into Byakuya. 

Literally.

Byakuya was just turning the corner having come down the stairs when they collided. Renji caught Byakuya by the arm, just as Byakuya reached out to steady Renji. Together, they managed not to fall. However, the two carefully wrapped packages Byakuya had been carrying lay in the snow.

Without a second thought, Renji crouched down to retrieve them with a “Sorry, Taicho!” The second his knees hit the ground, Renji realized what it must look like from a distance to Seichi. Renji’s cheeks burned as he quickly scooped up the spilled items. In his haste, he fumbled them a couple of times. Gods, he must look like he was bowing and scraping. Because, of course, Byakuya was just standing there, like Byakuya always did.

Fuck.

Finally, Renji managed to grab both items and get back on his feet. Awkwardly, Renji thrust the packages into Byakuya’s chest. “Here.”

“Actually, those are for you,” Byakuya said. “You and Rukia.”

“Oh.” Renji really looked at the packages for the first time. They were about the shape and size and feel of the cloak he’d retrieved from his footlocker. 

“I understand it’s quite cold in Hueco Mundo,” Byakuya said simply. “These cloaks are specially constructed to keep you warm and… safe.”

Was this some kind of apology? 

Byakuya cleared his throat and glanced out over the snowy practice yard. “How is your brother?”

Holy shit, it was an apology. Well, kind of. Byakuya had pulled out better ones in the past, but Renji figured this was Byakuya saying ‘You think I’ve behaved badly, but I’m not sure I agree. Still, here’s my effort at reconciliation.’

Could be worse.

“Yeah, Seichi’s fine, thanks.”

“Good.”

Renji looked down at the packages again. They were marked with the Kuchiki crest. So, either Byakuya had planned to give these to him earlier, or he’d gone all the way back to the estate to fetch them. Or made Aio do it. Either way, some effort was expended. “You got up in the middle of the night just to give these to me?” 

“And Rukia,” Byakuya said, his face still turned away, eyes focused on the newly fallen snow. “I was already up.”

Renji knew how to read that. Byakuya wouldn’t show his face because he was afraid that Renji would see something—maybe the fact that he hadn’t slept since their fight?

Byakuya let out a breath. It steamed from his mouth like smoke. “Hueco Mundo will be dangerous.”

Renji waited for more, but, well, this was Byakuya, wasn’t it? Renji had to fill in the rest himself. ‘It’ll be dangerous. I don’t want to you to leave on a sour note’ or maybe even ‘I love you. Don’t die.’ Renji nodded in agreement, “Yeah.”

“Yes, well,” Byakuya said. “Goodnight then, Renji.”

Byakuya was going to leave it like this? 

What the hey, did Renji have to do everything? 

“God damn it, you’re the worst at this shit,” Renji said. “I’ll show you a proper good-bye.”

Letting the cloaks drop again, he grabbed Byakuya’s chin and turned it toward him. He dipped his face down and captured Byakuya’s lips in a kiss. He hadn’t meant it to be passionate. Yet when his fingers curled deeply into Byakuya’s silk sleeping kimono, Renji decided to pull Byakuya in tightly, pressing their bodies together.

It was the sort of move that could have backfired. 

Instead, Byakuya’s arms slipped under Renji’s and reached up to grasp at the braid that hung down Renji’s back. There was a playful tug. Then, instantly, clever fingers began to unwind the sloppy work until everything was loose. 

His own hair tickled his cheek and Renji let himself get lost in the sensations of the kiss--the happy sigh into his mouth, the taste of sleep and sake, the smell… that unique Byakuya scent that he’d have to carry in his heart all the way to Hueco Mundo and back again.  
There was an urgency in Byakuya’s body, too. He pressed up hard against Renji as if trying to squeeze a part of himself inside for Renji to take along. Renji’s hands roamed down the length of strong shoulders, sculpted back, and slender, taut waist. He touched everything, lovingly, trying to commit the feel of each muscle to memory.

And, damn, if Byakuya’s tongue didn’t make a far better apology than anything he could ever say.

Their bodies knew how to talk to each other, even if they didn’t. Because when Renji finally let go, Byakuya took a moment to straighten his kimono and turned away. “I expect you to protect Rukia with your life,” Byakuya commanded. “And I expect you both back safe and well.”

Dragging the hair from his face undone by Byakuya’s passion, Renji quirked a smile and nodded: “Works for me.”

Byakuya swept away, heading up the stairs, “Don’t leave the cloaks in the snow too long.”

“I love you, too,” Renji said.

Byakuya stopped. He turned around. The shape of him was lost to the night’s long shadows, so Renji couldn’t read even a hint of his expression as he said, “Yes. I… meant that as well.”

Renji squinted into the darkness of the stairwell, wishing he could see more than the bottom part of Byakuya’s kimono and the cute little fur-lined slippers he wore. Renji knew he should say something here, maybe offer to come back upstairs or something, but the thing that came out of his mouth instead was, “Is that rabbit fur? You’d better be careful Rukia never sees them, eh?”

There was a sigh. “Indeed. There’s a reason I keep them in the captain’s quarters instead of the estate.”

Renji desperately searched for the words to say that wouldn’t have them leaving so… stupidly. Reaching, he found nothing beyond, “The kiss was nice.”

“Yes,” Byakuya agreed. Byakuya, too, seemed to cast around. Finally, he said, “Eishiro is opening the sento for me.”

Was that an invite? 

“If your brother is quite… settled, perhaps you would join me.”

Renji glance behind him. Seichi had already given up and gone back inside the lieutenant’s quarters. Renji felt only a little torn. After all, Seichi kept pushing him to go back to Byakuya, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

A big grin broke out on Renji’s face. “Be there in ten!”


End file.
